I also think that Dai's approach to any game is to put out a team that he thinks can win.
I don't think fielding a weakened team is in his DNA.
(although there's probably a grey area between weakened team and genuine rotation and injury protection)

We just can't afford to get hammered by being any weaker than we have to. Winning breeds confidence but so does performing and competing. We need to build some confidence - and build some understanding in combinations.

Get as good a team out as possible for next three games, stay in Europe, then draw a line under this part of the season when the Anglo welsh rolls in and everyone can take a breather and work out what's next

Problem is with the injury list, barring recoveries materially exceeding further injuries, we won't be in a position to rest many during the Anglo Welsh. Not only Wasps, but several other AP teams in similar position.

To a large extent, there's no need to rest players. They're professional athletes who can handle playing lots of games.

The problem comes when they're carrying knocks into those games.
The ability to rotate due to squad depth allows us to help those players recover fully from a knock before playing again.

I don't believe there's much benefit in resting players just for the sake of it.

Obviously, a lot of players are carrying knocks a lot of the time, but with a number returning from injury we can be in a position to rotate those carrying knocks next month.
For now, let's not worry about it

More - no one cares about it so it's a chance to just draw a line under phase 1 of the season and use it as a Chance to find form, establish combinations and develop youth.

Fantastic scenario for me would be coming out the other side of AW with

- a couple of confidence boosting wins
- a settled in de Jongh
- a couple of proper run outs for eastmond
- real game time under belt for gaskell and our other injured boys
- some opportunity to find form for hasks and others
- a 10/12 combo with gopps that's starting to gel
- a couple of 20 minute periods of match time at 10 for Miller to get him warm for it in case

- possible game time in relatIvely serious environment for james, eastgate, Willis, lundberg

There's an additional complication to this though in that we have a five day turnaround before our game at Ulster.

I think we have to look at the bigger picture.If we lose to Sarries we will have lost 4 of our first 6 games - that's the total amount we lost in 22 games last season. We have trips to regular graveyards for us such as Sale, Quins, Newcastle, Gloucester, let alone Northampton, Bath and Leicester, and home games against sides who beat us 99% of the time - Exeter, Sarries.

Based on this, Cips and Taylor being out until next year, International call ups and other teams' form, I think it's 100% certain we are out of the title race and are looking at a top six finish - and only if we find some form. I reckon we'll lose around 11 games this season and haven't been picking up the normal bonus points either.

We're no Exeter who have a well drilled system, we rely on playmakers like Cips, Daly etc.so I don't expect a 17 game unbeaten run. In reality we'd be doing well to win 10 of our remaining 16 league games so max points will be 50ish if we go well.

Our only chance of serious silverware is the ECC, so forget the league until after the Anglo Welsh, focus on Europe and try and resucitate our 150th season in Europe.

Forget Sarries, put out a weakened side and focus on Europe - the damage has already been done in the AP. Then for the rest of the AP season, don't make the mistake of the Quins game and rest vital players like Gopps, who's kicking would have won us that game. We have to be strongest at home, try and get 5 pointers and aim for 5th or 6th.

Andy. The problem with that is you're basing it on an assumption that we're more likely to win the champions cup than we are the premiership.
A quick look online suggests that bookmakers see us as far more likely to win the premiership than we are the ECC.
All the fixtures that you feel we'll probably lose in the league may also come up in the european competition, as well as having to take on the rest of the European elite.

We should be putting out a team that we feel can compete for every single major fixture (i.e. not necessarily AWC).

RossMdon't make the mistake of the Quins game and rest vital players like Gopps,
Gopps was out injured, not rested. So not a mistake.

Dai said he had a slight knock which he'd been carrying for a while, and rested him to try and break the cycle. He could have played. I reckon we need to put out our strongest side at home overtime we can.

I don't much care what team we put out for what fixture. I want to turn up, sit down and watch a good game of rugby. I don't much care about previous games for this reason. For me, it is only the next game and the enjoyment. If we pick up a bit of silverware, great. If it gives me the reason to visit Twickenham, even better.

StevieWaspAndy. The problem with that is you're basing it on an assumption that we're more likely to win the champions cup than we are the premiership.
A quick look online suggests that bookmakers see us as far more likely to win the premiership than we are the ECC.
All the fixtures that you feel we'll probably lose in the league may also come up in the european competition, as well as having to take on the rest of the European elite.

We should be putting out a team that we feel can compete for every single major fixture (i.e. not necessarily AWC).

Absolutely - I think we now have zero chance of winning the title which means we have a much better chance of winning the ECC. I'd give us a chance against any of the European elite provided we qualify from our group - particularly if we don't have to face Exeter!

We finished on 84 points with Exeter last season for a home semi. We'll be 74 points off that after we play Sarries which means we will need to win every single remaining AP game for a home semi.

Let's assume that Exeter and Sarries will be in the top 4 at the end of the season.
That still leaves room for 2 other teams. Bath, Leicester and Sale are within 1 win of us.

Newcastle and Saints are 9 points clear. I suspect that Falcons form will drop at some point. I won't speculate too much on Saints as they're playing very well at the moment.

What I'm trying to say is that we're only 1 win behind Bath,Leicester and Sale, and we're level on points with Quins.
It's a long season, and I really believe that Newcastle will lose games, so top 4 is still a very realistic target.

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